Showtime!

Entertainment is one of the reasons people attend auctions and agents should do their best to put on a show, according to Mr Trovato.

“It’s about that show you’re putting on: agents talking to people and constantly moving around so there’s constant movement – even the agents calling out a bid when it comes. I like that, because it’s different to what everyone else is doing. As long as it’s not changing the process, it’s great because it’s memorable,” he says.

“Having an agent walk inside during the auction as if they’re talking to a vendor and then coming back out to speak to someone – if you’re a prospective vendor, what do you want to see? You want to see the agent is going to be doing everything in their power to try to maximise your result. So that’s why you’re trying to put on a show.”

Don’t forget to rehearse

Auction theatre works best when everybody knows their lines, according to My Auctioneer director Kate Lumby.

That’s why she encourages agents to have face-to-face discussions with their buyers ahead of the auction.

“I believe the work is done well and truly before the day. So the buyers are prepared, even right down to opening bids,” she says.

“If you know your top one or two buyers, one strategy is to work with the under-bidders, because the under-bidders are going to push your best buyers up, so we encourage our agents to do that.”

Ms Lumby says the key is for agents to ensure all the actors – vendors, buyers and auctioneer – are working in harmony.

“You’re ironing out things well and truly [in advance] so you know the result before going in there, right down to the agent almost being able to pick who the buyer is going to be, or at least the top two,” she says.